Soooo skin is a super popular topic on my blog and Instagram that people always have so many questions about, so I had to do a post on my holy grail of face products. Yes? YES!

Okay, so I am no esthetician, but I have been modeling for the last 7 years and being around makeup artists and other models who are trading secrets constantly has naturally taught me a lot about skin care. Through osmosis I have absorbed some knowledge on how to stay as youthful and naturally (and unnaturally) glowing as possible for as long as possible. A select few products and brands get mentioned over and over, so get your pen and pads out and write this down (or just refer back to this list...you know, technology!)!

The Holy Grail: The Top 3 Ingredients To Focus on In Your Skincare Regimen

1. Vitamin C Serum- Okay guys, this is a must! I apply my favorite Vitamin C serum (Ce Ferulic Acid by SkinCeuticals...life changer) in the morning on a clean face before I put on anything else. I was told that the best order to layer face products is from serums to thick moisturizers so this serum is first. The reason vitamin C is part of the Holy grail of face products is because it is very effective at fading and preventing spots, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles by boosting collagen production while keeping new lines from forming, and it boosts the effects of your sunscreen that you should apply over Vitamin C serum.

HINT: Purchase skincare products only on trusted skincare sites or in a med spa. Otherwise you cannot be sure the products arent expired, thus making it more affordable on sites like Amazon. Don't do it!

2. Anti Oxidant Serum- My esthetician told me that a great and potent antioxidant product is a must in order to help fight off environmental stressors and pollutants. I have done lots of digging and its true, anti oxidants are the "fixers" and save cells from environmental damage as well as repair and stop damage from occuring. They also stimulate collagen, boost cell repair, and fade dark spots.

Tip: CE Ferulic works great as an anti oxidant serum as well and you can combine anti oxidants to layer on each other because different ones fight free radicals in a different way.

3. SPF ALL THE WAY!- SPF is a non negotioable! There is no excuse for not wearing SPF everyday to protect your skin from the sun, not to mention keeping it youthful in appearance. Spots age your appearance more than wrinkles, and the sun gives both wrinkles and spots! Protect your skin!!

There are of course more ingredients that you can implement for more results, but these are the essential 3 to focus on as a starter pack NOW. Enjoy and let me know what products you love!

Ahhhh glycolic acid. One of my favorite things to treat my skin with. If you guys have been following along, you'll know I have discussed glycolic pads (here) and how effective they are for all skin types.

2. Rejuvenates the skin through cell turn over, forcing it to shed dead cells and produce new ones

3. Helps rid the skin of hyperpigmentation spots from acne or sun.

Wellll, I loved this stuff so much, I went a little wild on it and learned a few lessons. Hopefully, my mistakes will help you to avoid some painful and embarrassing looking mistakes.

So here is what not to do:

1. Don't apply glycolic masks for any longer than the specified time! That may seem obvious but it's not. You may think you need a little extra treatment, as did I ONCE. Soooo you leave it on for 45 minutes to realllllly treat your skin rather than the 10 minutes it suggests... Don't do that. Read the instructions and stick to them.

2. DO. NOT EXFOLIATE with any harsh brush or device prior to use! Im referring to something like a PMD (personal microdermabrasion handheld device) or even a Clarisonic if you have sensitive skin at all. I made this mistake (which now seems silly and obvious) and exfoliated prior to using the mask. When I put the mask on, my skin started to sting and it burnedddd and I thought, HA! It's working! No, it was burning my skin! When I took off the mask, my skin was a little pink and felt a bit like it had wind burn. The next morning I woke up with this dark brown/purplish scab down my face in a line, where I had dragged my exfoliator. It took two weeks to heal and left a scar for a while (adding to my collection of hyperpigmentation and hormonal acne spots that take forever to fade on my face!)

3.Rinse off fully with lukewarm water and rehydrate the skin with a very moisturizing serum or cream. I suggest doing this at night so you don't have to bother with the sun and SPF blah blah because that's one added step.( I don't like unnecessary steps.) I love to use a super moisturizing cream like Eminence Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer or their Firm Skin Acai Moisturizer. Both of these creams are super moisturizing, organic, and calming to my skin with natural age defying products in them. Seriously in love with them.

If you use glycolic masks, which I SERIOUSLY advise from all of the research I've done, just make sure you follow instructions and don't try to combine too many products before or after. I am a skincare junkie these days and sometimes get a little too excited and ambitious when it comes to application. More is not always better when it comes to your skin.

I hope you guys can learn from my mistakes and get the benefits of Glycolic without the aftermath I faced from using too many amazing but non cohesive products and devices together.

See you guys soon. xo,

Kim

SHOP THE POST

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I love to find new brands or products that make me feel pretty or help make my life easier in some way. It can be a silly thing like a hair tie (that you'll see today ) that just makes putting your hair up easier or a beauty product that just makes you feel prettier!

Who doesn't love that?

I was gifted some product from The Beauty Collection Stores during the holidays and wanted to share a couple things that stuck out to me. I also purchased a couple items because they were used on me at modeling jobs and loved them.

Check out the video if you haven't already and let me know if you have any products you love that I should try!

By a show of hands, I'd love to know who has known about this glorious thing called Transluscent Powder?

Okay, just what I thought. We all kinda know about transluscent/setting powder and maybe even some of us have it in our arsenal of must-have products, but I truly didn't realize how effective and essential this powder was for me to look natural and flawless without too much makeup.

So let's rewind for a sec. I have been modeling a long time as many of you know and really feel like I have been introduced to almost every product under the sun. I have technically known about translucent powder/setting powder/finishing powder (so many names for it, they might all be different, but for me they essentially deliver the same results, flawless smooth matte skin) for a long time, but truthfully didn't quite get what it did... Like, does it cover up zits? Is it foundation? Is it powder? Why is there no color to it? Why do I need to "set" makeup anyway? Cant I just use bronzer over my foundation without this step?

Okay so here is the skinny:

I spoke with my sister in law who is a makeup artist (well I have two, but this sister is 19 and in the middle of training so is super knowledgeable on certain things because she is in the middle of her schooling and retaining lots of useful info! And she does the MOST AMAZING makeup, I am obsessed)

1. So setting powder is not like typical makeup. You don't use it to cover up like you would a foundation. You "set" the makeup with it, meaning its a finishing step. However, you can also use between foundation and bronzer/ blush to mattify and tone anything down.

2. You use it after liquid foundation or even foundation powder, to absorb oil and help mattify the face.

3. You would also use it to make the makeup last longer, blur fine lines and wrinkles, and get rid of any greasy looking shine. I feel like it really helps give a flawless cohesive look to my makeup when otherwise it can be randomly good, and then randomly a little too shiny which turns to grease midday.

4. This type of powder is also great for using on the lids! I have the hardest time putting on eyeshadow evenly because, with the skin products I use prior to makeup application, my skin gets moisturized but also a little slick with product. I love dewy skin, but I don't love that my lids stay greasy and make any pigment impossible to look evenly distributed. Setting powder is awesome for this purpose. It smooths and mattifies the lids so pigment is smoothly and evenly brushed over for a flawless and clean lid.

5. Minimizes spots and scars. My foundation does this for the most part, but when I evenly brush on my setting powder, any underlying color fades evenly and smoothly. I love this because it truly feels like the powder is doing its work by setting my look.

6. Setting powder isn't meant to be cover-up or foundation so it's not going to give strong coverage for things like zits or scars on its own, but paired with a cover-up or foundation, it will do a great job in blurring these imperfections.

7. You can use bronzer or blush immediately after foundation, but it might have a more dewy look and won't last as long. I love the dewy skin look but my skin starts dewy and ends greasy with mascara running down the side of my face. No good. I need setting powder.

I hope this helps you to have more clarity on what the heck this stuff actually does and why it's so useful! I was skeptical for a while thinking it was one more thing that we were being sold at makeup stores that were useless but I was so WRONG!

If you guys are looking for a great transluscent powder to set your makeup and blur imperfections, this one is a great one! I linked ot throughout the post and you can also buy below by clicking on the link. I got you:)

Okay, so I don't know about you guys, but as I have gotten older, my skin has changed.... like A LOT. I was a little annoyed at first but thought, "eh, it'll go away and everyone gets little imperfections here and there so whatever." Welllll, not whatever.

For the last 6 months in a row, I have had major issues with my skin, on my face and body, from hives, breakouts, to cystic acne(I hate even typing that because it sounds so disgusting, but it's true and I don't like to sugar coat things). I could not go ONE MONTH without some major flare up that not only looked ugly but left a FREAKING SCAR, not to mention could be painful!

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? This was foreign to me at first, so I finally cracked and went to get a facial because I was getting desperate. Well as soon as I laid down, I got right into it with my aesthetician and started asking her a million questions and told her about my skin issues. She was nodding the entire time I was talking and finally said, "oh yeah your skin changes every 7-10 years, " ( Apparently due to skin regeneration and after around 7 years every skin cell in your body has been replaced). I DID NOT KNOW THIS. I felt so lucky to have had clear skin my entire life, and figured that was just my skin type. I can't tell you how frustrating it has been to get breakouts. It's really made me empathetic to people who have struggled with skin issues their entire life. Don't get me wrong, I have dealt with sensitive skin my whole life where one bug bite turns into 20 and my skin breaks out in hives, but acne hasn't been one of the main issues until recently. It can take a huge toll on your confidence because whether you like it or not, we lead with our looks because that is what people see before we have a chance to speak.

I asked my aesthetician what she recommended and she said she swears by a couple products:

CE FERULIC!! SHOP BY CLICKING

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This is my all time favorite staple FYI. I want everyone to try it! It's that goooooood.

2. iS CLINICAL ACTIVE SERUM which I knew nothing about and really had never heard of. Well she swore by it and said since I had acneic skin (Im sorry what?!) this would significantly help with clogged pores, bacteria, pigmentation, and fine lines and wrinkles! ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

IS CLINICAL ACTIVE SERUM- THE STAR OF THE SHOW

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OKAY. So I was a little (ALOT) offended she said I basically had adult acne because truly it doesnt appear that I do, but it can be small clogged pores no one sees! But they are still there and can get worse, which mine were,

She also said since my skin was so hormonal, proven by my random cheek and chin breakouts every month, this serum would help calm those flare ups while targetting my hyperpigmentaion (from years of water polo in the sun), and fight aging all while softening my skin.

I didnt really think it would work thaaaaat great but I was desparate and, although pricey, decided to give it a try.

I LOVE IT. Seriously, I LOVE IT. I am not sponsored or paid to say this, I really love this product and will purchase it again and again. I have seen a difference in my skin, especially the breaking out, and can feel it working. Upon application of iS Clinical Active Serum, it feels cold and tingly and smells great and is so soothing and medicating to the skin. I highly recommend it and am loving being able to control my breakouts. Just a dab of this stuff on my problem areas and each breakout healed quick, and without pain or scarring.

If you are like me and experiencing hormonal breakouts, I would highly suggest trying this! I have been scarring from my zits and that is a no-can-do for me, so I am stoked on this new product.

I hope you loved this tip as much as I did! Comment below if you love it too or have tried another product that works similarly. I would love to get all your secrets! xo,

Kim

SHOP THE POST + OTHER PRODUCTS I LOVE

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Featured Products

1. M-61 POWER GLOW PEEL - Amazing for rejuvenating the skin and cell turnover. You simply wipe all over your face and leave on overnight. Its a glycolic treatment so instantly cleans and stuff off dead skin and helps with hyper pigmentation, scarring, and texture!

2. SUNDAY RILEY HYDROACTIVE CELLULAR FACE - Hydration, smooth skin, glowing skin, brightening and so much more! This is my favorite oil right now to sink in and totally replenish my cells and give me a gorgeous glow.

SKINCEUTICALS CE FERULIC - This is my go to for every single day and I will never not use it! It is one of my all time favorite products! I love it specifically for help with hyper pigmentation and brightening my skin!

SUNDAY RILEY GOOD GENES - Similar to M-61, glycolic peels help with everything from aging, to discoloration, to rejuvenating the cells to where you can see visible change as soon as you wake up. Your skin will be glowing.

Happy Friday all!

If you have been following me on instagram for a while, you'll know through my insta story and posts that I love to try new facial products. I have always been into being healthy, but as I got into my later 20's, I started to invest in my skin, especially since I model and want to have a long career! I ask makeup artists all the time what their favorite products are. Over the years, I've come up with my arsenal that I always use (along with always trying new product recommendations). In this post, I wanted to share some of my favorite products I am using NOW. I will continue to try new products and update my list when I love something and think is worth sharing. For today, Im loving these!

Have you tried any of these? Do you have any recommendations for me that I have to try? I'd love to know!!

Hello everyone! As you read this, I am on my way to France to spend 10 days in the South of France and Ireland! I am so excited! I am so looking forward to spending some time in the sun and sipping on chilled rose! However, as much as I love to soak up the sun, I try my best to keep my face covered. So, I tend to need a little bit of bronzing on the makeup side to keep my face looking as golden and glowy as my sun kissed body! I packed these items on my trip to the Cote d'Azur so I can keep my face looking as fabulous and fresh as my (hopefully) newly tanned body under the Mediterranean sun. CANNOT WAIT!

Check out the way I prep my skin for the day with some of my favorite products that I have been using recently and love! Products are so important! These products all have their own purpose and special "skill" when it comes to treating my skin and preventing aging.

Happy Friday everyone!

Today I'm sharing my current skincare routine that I have been loving and seeing results from. I have talked about CE Ferulic before, but haven't gone into the details on why I love the products in my skincare routine, and what they all do together. I love asking people with beautiful skin what their secret is for youthful and even skin tone and I always jot down notes and products that they highly recommend. I'm also famous for asking makeup and skin professionals on set what their top products are that they themselves use. Many makeup artists get free product sent to them, making it easier to try all sorts of great (and not so great) product to compare and see what they love and think works. The following products are what I am loving now and see results from. I will keep trying new combos and if I find a great product I love, I'll write about it. For now though, this is the winning combination.

Step 1: BIODERMA- I just started using this famous micellar water that originates from France, and love it. I had it used on my skin on set a number of times and finally found it at a nearby beauty store. It removes all dirt, oil, and makeup from the skin. This gentle solution is great for the most sensitive of skin and helps rebuild the skins hydrolipidic film. You can choose to rinse the face or not after cleansing with Bioderma. Its not necessary but I like to.

Step 2: CE FERULIC- I have raved about this here where you can learn more. But to sum it up, CE Ferulic Acid helps brighten, tighten, diminish hyper pigmentation, hydrate, and protect against the sun. It is my all time favorite product because it is effective and potent. And you can use pregnant or breastfeeding! Just drop the serum onto face, (I use about 5-6 drops) and gently dab into skin. I also spread to my neck and decollatage.

Step 3: DRUNK ELEPHANT MARULA OIL- I am in love with this highly moisturizing and potent marula oil! Its thick, softening, and smells great. I get lines here and there from my skin getting a little dry and this oil has made a huge difference! It's so good. A few drops will do ya just right!

Step 4: LA ROCHE POSAY SPF- You must wear sunscreen. If you don't want to invest in this one as it is a bit more costly than other drug store brands, just invest in one with minimum 50 SPF and wear it everyday. It makes all the difference in skin aging, plus you need to protect your skin! I love this french version that I get from a beauty store, which is different from the drug store version, because it is liquid and goes on so smooth and even with no white residue. It's silky and I definitely feel protected when wearing it. Plus, it has rave reviews from major beauty experts as the best SPF out there.